


What's the catch?

by ohworm (owolivia)



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Makes Puns, Chat Noir Being Chat Noir, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Good Parent Gabriel Agreste, M/M, Other, adrien panicks, faking a relationship with a twist, for now at least, now paris thinks adrien AND chat noir are gay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-26
Updated: 2020-01-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:14:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22419067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/owolivia/pseuds/ohworm
Summary: Alya looks straight at him, grinning. "I didn't know you were gay!"Silence hangs over the four almost-adults. Adrien blinks. "What?""I didn't know you swung that way," Nino chuckles nervously, "but that's completely fine, dude," he pats his back, "I don't think I'd resist Chat Noir either."Or in which Adrien's impulsive decisions lead him to accidentally get himself into the classical romantic trope of faking a relationship to escape trouble. But this time, it won't be as easy to pull off as he thinks.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, adrien/chat noir - Relationship, but its fake obviously
Comments: 9
Kudos: 167





	What's the catch?

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [In Which Adrien Claims to be Dating Himself](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22337710) by [Nymphadora88](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nymphadora88/pseuds/Nymphadora88). 



"Guys," Alya stomps into the class that morning, eyes full of sparkles. She's beaming so much, Adrien worries it's hurting her. Her hand clutches her phone tightly and as soon as she's in her seat she turns it on, showing them all a blurry but obvious picture.

They all gasp, Marinette with shock, Nino with confusion, and Adrien with _absolute fucking horrific panic_.

Because it's a picture of Chat Noir swinging away from the _Agreste_ mansion.

"When did you take that?!" Adrien yelps, face going bright red. Fuck, was she thinking what he was? Was it all over? Was his secret identity gone? God, he was so reckless, Fu would probably take his Miraculous away, and then Ladybug, and his father-

"Just yesterday, before the Akuma attack!" Alya looks straight at him, grinning. "I didn't know you were gay!"

Silence hangs over the four almost-adults. Adrien blinks. "What?"

"I didn't know you swung that way," Nino chuckles nervously, "but that's completely fine, dude," he pats his back, "I don't think I'd resist Chat Noir either."

Oh.

_Oh._

Marinette's eyes go wide in horror. "Wh-what? You're- wait, you're _dating Chat Noir_?" Alya winces and lays a hand on her shoulder. Marinette just gives her a bewildered look.

"I-" Adrien stutters, "I...." he thinks. He could either reveal his identity and put his friends in great danger, or he could go along with this. He sighs. "I didn't want anyone to know."

"Fuck," Alya leans on the desk, "I- shit, I'm sorry, Adrien, I just-"

"It's fine!" He quickly replaces his frown with a smile, "I trust you guys. As long as you don't tell anyone else."

Alya's face falls. Adrien blinks. Once, twice, thrice. "Alya, don't tell me you posted it on the fucking Ladyblog."

"Oops."

|

"My lady," Chat breathes as he dodges another beam from the Akuma, "you seem distracted today. Dis- _cat_ -ted. Something _bugging_ you today?" 

She shoots out her yo-yo and attempts to snatch the Akumatized item, cursing under her breath when a beam fires back at her and she retrieves the spotted weapon, using it as a shield instead. "Just heard something interesting today, Chat," she glances at him with narrowed eyes, staring at him like a hawk. "Got something to tell me?"

He gets hit right in the chest and stumbles back, hiding behind a chimney to catch his breath. Soon enough he's back at her side. "It's been a _cat_ -astrophe today, what do you want to know?"

The two decide to split up and go around the Akuma, charging at her from two sides. The Akumatized object flies out of her hand as she goes to protect herself and Chat calls his Cataclysm, destroying the crumpled up paper. Ladybug purifies the Akuma and throws her yo-yo into the air, calling her Miraculous Ladybug. Soon enough there's a crying girl on the roof next to them, clutching a single news report. 

Chat's blood runs cold as he catches a glimpse of the photo Alya showed them this morning. Oh.

Ladybug gets her down safely and then jumps back onto the rooftop, putting her hands on her hips. Her face is stern. "So, apparently there's something you're not telling me."

He runs a hand through his hair. Right. He hasn't told her anything at all yet. "Look, I, I'm sorry, okay? I wanted to tell you-"

"No," she takes a step closer, looking angrier. "It's not about telling me. It's about the _flirting_."

He blinks. "What?"

"You're dating Adrien Agreste," her voice softens at the name, "right?" He nods. "You- you have the luckiest luck of all time to be together with an _amazing_ and _perfect_ boy like him, but you go behind his back and flirt with _me_?!" 

Chat shifts his weight from one foot to the other. Oh. Fuck. He didn't think about that. "Ladybug, please listen. It wasn't- it wasn't like that."

"Then what was it like?" Her voice is venomous and he almost curls in on himself. He says the first thing that comes to mind.

"I couldn't- Lady, no offense, but do you see what it's like? We reveal the slightest hint of care for someone, and Hawkmoth swallows it all up and uses it against us." His ears lower and he takes a single breath. "I didn't want him to be in danger, okay? He's too important to me for that."

Her face softens. "Chaton-"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but please don't think I flirted with you to go behind his back," he has to stop himself from laughing, "and Adrien is completely fine with it."

"You're sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

His ring gives a beep and he frowns, saluting her before grabbing his baton. "Gotta go! Don't miss me too much!"

|

As his ring gave a second beep he stopped and perched on a lamppost, tail curling behind him as he pulls up the news on his baton. Nervousness pooled in his stomach as he knew it was time to head home and he tried to find if his father made any statements online. Not seeing anything suspicious he extended it again and prepared to finish his journey, only to be stopped by his name being called.

"Chat Noir! Is it true? Are you and the model Adrien Agreste romantically involved?"

He turns his head and almost falls off, surprise overtaking him. There stood a whole news crew, their cameras pointed at him and the reporter raising her microphone high towards him. He blinked and checked his ring, wincing when it beeped a third time. Two minutes left.

"That's something for us to know and for you to not dig into."

His words seemingly surprised her, though she only raised the microphone higher and spoke again. "Are you two intimate? Does Adrien know who you really are? Is that where you go when you need to detransform?"

His eyes narrow and he turns away, swinging out of sight.

|

After a quick detransformation in an alley and a short trip home, the gates open and Nathalie rushes outside, hurrying him into the mansion. His hands tremble as she guides him to his room where his father is waiting for him, staring at the window that was opened the most often. 

"Father," Adrien says when Nathalie leaves. "What are you doing here?"

After a moment of silence, Gabriel speaks up. "Is it true? Or is it just another scandal you got yourself into?"

"No, I," Adrien puts down his bag, sitting down on his bed. "It's true, yeah."

Gabriel hums, running his finger along the windowsill of the window. He brings it to his face and narrows his eyes. No dust. "Is this the window he comes in through?"

"That's the window he comes in through, yes."

Adrien tugs on his sleeves, pulling them over his hands anxiously. His father's reaction is unreadable and that worries him more. 

"You've been dating... him, for how long, now?"

"Three years."

"Three years," he repeats, scowling. "And you never told me."

Adrien stays silent. His heart beats fast against his chest as his father turns and sits down next to him, pinching his nose.

"Adrien, I'm... I'm so sorry."

Adrien turns his head to look at him so fast, he worries about whiplash. "Wh- what?"

"I've read some forums while you were at school," Gabriel glances at him, "articles, websites, conversations online. I... I'm sorry I never made you feel like you could talk to me about those things."

And the apology is so sincere that Adrien feels tears prick his eyes. "It's okay, dad." And as soon as the tears leave his eyes Gabriel pulls him into a hug, rubbing circles into his back as his mother used to do.


End file.
